SPACE for physical activity--a multicomponent intervention study: study design and baseline findings from a cluster...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• The School site, Play Spot, Active transport, Club fitness and Environment (SPACE) Study addresses the need for increased physical activity (PA) in adolescents.
• Interventions are based on a social ecological framework, focusing on organizational and structural changes in the school environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, document, and assess a comprehensive intervention promoting everyday physical activity (PA) among 11-15-year-old adolescents.
• To implement organizational and structural changes within school districts to encourage PA.

Main Methods:

• Cluster randomized controlled trial design involving 21 schools in the Region of Southern Denmark.
• Schools were matched and randomized into intervention and control groups based on eight variables.
• Baseline measurements (Spring 2010) included accelerometers, questionnaires, diaries, and fitness tests in 5-6th graders; follow-up in 7-8th graders (Spring 2012).

Main Results:

• 1348 adolescents participated at baseline across 14 schools.
• High response rates (72.6-97.4%) were achieved for all measurements.
• No significant baseline differences were observed between intervention and control groups for key variables like gender, age, BMI, physical fitness, and physical activity.

Conclusions:

• The matched pair randomization effectively created equivalent intervention and control groups.
• The SPACE Study is poised to offer valuable insights into the efficacy of multicomponent interventions for enhancing adolescent physical activity.
• Further analysis will determine the intervention's impact on objective average daily physical activity and secondary outcomes.